MG Gundam Shenlong (Endless Waltz Ver.)

First Impressions

 The first thing I noticed about the MG Shenlong Gundam was its legs. Like any other Katoki gundam design, they are long, particular below the knee. The legs and feet are also disproportionally large; even though the MG Shenlong is small (measuring only 16.5 cm tall), its legs and feet are just as bulky (if not more so) than the rest of MG gundams I’ve built. In addition, when the Shenlong’s small shoulder armour and basic backpack unit is taken into account, the suit looks pretty bottom-heavy. I don’t particularly mind this distinctive appearance, because the compact profile and the beefy legs do give the Shenlong a sturdy look.

As I just mentioned, the MG Shenlong is small. This is because all of the Wing MS designs are smaller than standard early UC sizes. While I would never fault the model’s engineers for staying faithful to the specifications of the original design, the price of the kit does leave something to be desired. At 3800 yen, the MG Shenlong costs the same as the MG Gouf and MG Exia, both of which are a head taller. The size is not the only thing lacking for the pricetag, as I will elaborate later on.

Closer Look 

 As I just mentioned, the MG Shenlong is small. This is because all of the Wing MS designs are smaller than standard early UC sizes. While I would never fault the model’s engineers for staying faithful to the specifications of the original design, the price of the kit does leave something to be desired. At 3800 yen, the MG Shenlong costs the same as the MG Gouf and MG Exia, both of which are a head taller. The size is not the only thing lacking for the pricetag, as I will elaborate later on.

 Sadly, the same can’t be said for every detail, as the back skirt armour, ankle guards, and the flaps on the side of the Dragon Fang all require paint to look accurate. If this were an older and/or cheaper kit, I wouldn’t really mind these minor touch-ups, but when the MG Exia has freaking laser-etched markings on its clear parts for exactly the same price, I couldn’t help but to feel a little short-changed as I struggled to paint within the lines. Did I mention that my hands are as steady as a jackhammer? Yeah, not fun.

 On a positive note, I really like the fang motif in the Shenlong’s design.  You can see a pair of little fangs under the face vents and on the sides and back of the legs. I miss the unique v-fin from the original design, but I’m glad to see that the red chest armour is mostly unchanged. As per the norm, the cockpit hatch opens to reveal the pilot sitting inside.

Accessories

 The most notable alteration from the original design is the Dragon Fang. Kunio Okawara’s Shenlong Gundam has a collapsible right arm, and when deployed, the arm extends and the forearm-mounted weapon system folds into position, granting the Shenlong a fierce dragon-like appendage that is not only capable of piercing/crushing hapless OZ grunts with its bladed teeth, but also capable of roasting them with its integrated flamethrower. It sounds cool on paper, but now that I look back, I find it to be an extremely silly design, even by Wing’s standards. The long, thin extendable arm looks very fragile, and it seem like it has neither the weight nor the force to do any real damage.

 By contrast, the Katoki’s Dragon Fang is a big, heavy-looking motherfucker. When deployed, it only extends slightly at the base. The thin claws of the original are replaced by a set of rugged and jagged teeth. Make no mistake, it’s still a ridiculous design – it’s a dragon’s head mounted to the arm of a giant robot, for crying out loud – but the sheer bulk of Katoki’s Dragon Fang makes it seem like it can do a lot of damage. Katoki’s Shenlong is definitely a top contender for the “most powerful pimp-slap” award along with the Zeong’s might beam-shooting wire-linked arms and the God Gundam’s God Finger.

 Shenlong’s other weapon is the beam trident, which is also pretty silly. Personally, I prefer the simpler beam glaive of the original design over the exaggerated three-pronged head of the beam trident because I’ve never had a taste for melee beam weapons that bend. I can usually tolerate slight curvatures (like Deathscythe’s scythe), but the side blades on the bream trident actually bends twice – inward at the base and outward at the time. I suppose the curves on the trident may make sense in the context of Wing’s universe, where style is always valued over practicality, but to a UC fan like me, the beam trident has all the awkwardness of a contrived design with none of the bad-ass factor.

Of course, this is all a matter of personal taste. The actual beam part looks really detailed and clips onto the shaft securely. When not deployed, the shaft can be stored on the Shenlong’s back via a small swappable part that fits into the backpack. 

 The real problem related to the beam trident is not the weapon itself, but rather the hands that hold it. The only articulated fingers on the MG Shenlong are the thumbs, the rest of the finger come in the form of 4 pairs of swappable parts: closed fist, splayed fingers, and 2 pairs of trident-grippers – one with tabs inside and one without. Here’s where my well-documented frustrations at gunpla hands come in: the trident is a thrusting weapon, yet without the properly angled hands, a trusting pose is impossible to pull off.  The wrists on the MG Shenlong are slightly more flexible than the average MG, but not nearly good enough to compensate for the lack of a forward-pointing grip.

Furthermore, because the fingers on the Shenlong are fixed, they rely on the tab on the palm to hold the weapon. The problem is that the 2 slots on the shaft of the beam trident are both on the same side, so that means you can’t rotate the shaft to the angle of your liking if you want a secure grip. All this makes coming up with the trident poses for this review a real challenge. 

 On a bright side, I really like the shield on Katoki’s Shenlong. The array of yellow parts arranged around the shield gives it a really technical look. The design also seems like some sort of impact-absorbing mechanism. The only downside to the shield is that its large size conflicts with the shoulder armour when I bend the elbow too far, thus inhibiting articulation. But I can’t complain too much when it looks so nifty.

Articulations

There’s not much to say about the articulation on the MG Shenlong, as everything is pretty standard. I’ll let the picture to the talking, but here are a couple of quick highlights:

• The waist can rotate left and right without much obstruction. The rear armour gets in the way after around 40 degrees, but that that should be enough for most purposes.
• The blue parts on the side skirt armour have a nasty habit of popping off when I try to pose the model.
• Surprisingly, the arms can only bend around 110 degrees up. This is plenty of movement to work with, but I find it a little strange, since the hands of most modern MG models are able to touch the shoulders.
• Speaking of the shoulders, they can swing forward really far – very nice to use in conjunction with the Dragon Fang
• The two upper teeth of the Dragon Fang each have 3 points of articulation – two in the middle and one in the base. They fold together very nicely. 

Final Say

The MG Shenlong Gundam (Endless Waltz ver.) isn’t a spectacular model. It doesn’t feature any design innovations that would blow the pants off of anyone who’s been following gunpla for a while. But not being spectacular is okay, because if ever model is “spectacular”, the label would be meaningless. But though I am easy to forgive the Shenlong for not making me jump out the window while singings its praises, I am not as willing to overlook its 3800 yen price tag. 

One of the things I love the most about gunpla is that the prices feel fair. Sure, the prices of newer models have been slowly increasing over the years, but that seems to be justified by the addition of newer of and better standards of engineering. The MG Shenlong does not have this. There aren’t any spiffy new joints, there aren’t any light-up parts, and there certainly aren’t any of those much needed wrist improvements or alternate hands to be found. Instead, we have a model that’s smaller than the standard but costs just as much (if not more) than its superiors, and that bugs me. 

 This isn’t to say that I dislike the model – on the contrary, I like it a lot. Not only does the Shenlong Gundam carry a lot of sentimental value from my childhood, but the redesign bodes very well with my matured tastes. I’m just not sure how much appeal this kit would have towards people who aren’t familiar with the series. If a non-gundam fan asked me for a recommendation on a gunpla kit, the MG Shenlong would not be on the list.

So that’s what it boils down to: if you are a Wing fan who digs Hajime Katoki’s redesign, go grab this kit, because its flaws really are mild at most. If you prefer the Nataku (the upgraded version of the Shenlong Gundam), you should wait a little longer, because a MG Nataku is due in the very near future – the layout of the MG Shenlong’s runners is a dead giveaway.  If the words “Chang Wufei” and “Operation Meteor” mean nothing to you, then keep walking – there are better kits to be had.

Pros

• The new Dragon Fang is cool as hell
• A very neat and detailed shield

Cons

• The lack of appropriate hands makes posing with the beam trident difficult
• Requires paint for colour accuracy
• Slightly pricey for such a simple and small MG model

MG GN001 - Gundam Exia

As the latest TV entry (no, Sangokuden doesn’t count) of the ever-expanding Gundam franchise, Gundam 00 probably doesn’t need an introduction. But in case you don’t know anything about it, here’s a little crash-course: About three hundred years in the future, in a time where humans no longer cry over oil spills thanks to the vast solar energy system built around the earth, a small private military group known as “Celestial Being” surfaces. The sole purpose of Celestial Being is to piss off every major world power with by butting into every armed conflict with their technologically advanced death machines known as Gundams. These Gundams, which are powered by green pixie dust (otherwise known as GN particles), are so far above the current level of weapons technology that they are virtually invulnerable (think Tony Stark in his Iron Man suit). One of these peace-enforcing death machines is known as Gundam Exia, piloted by a Kurdish former child-soldier with a fetish for pointy things. Together they merrily travel around the globe, making plenty of widows as they go.

…On second thought, you should probably refer to a Wikipedia entry or something for a synopsis if you need one.

Anyhow, being a MG kit of a recent main mobile suit, the MG Exia unsurprisingly received a lot of attention. Bandai, being the devious marketing genius that it is, foresaw this anticipation and released a special “Ignition Version” of this kit, which features metal-plated blade parts, LED light for the chest, and extra parts to make the Exia Repair (thanks for the reminder,hamstercorp!). Because I wasn’t crazy about the prospect of having shiny bits on an otherwise matte-finished model, I opted for the regular version. With out of the way, on with the review!

FirstImpressions

The biggest difference you’ll notice between the MG Exia and its HG and 1/100 counterparts are the proportions. While the older versions featured a wide set of shoulders and narrow head, the MG features a slightly more compact set of shoulders and a fuller and rounder head. These subtle changes really make a huge difference in the overall image of the suit, which conform a lot better the appearance of the suit in the anime.

The MG Exia is certainly not lacking in terms of details. The gray cheeks, openable cockpit hatch, and tiny yellow face vents are faithfully reproduced, and the various clear green parts on the model are laser-etched with markings. These round green covers also have clear lenses placed underneath to enhance the effect of the clear green bits. 

 Another nifty new feature to the suit is the GN conductor cables, which are made of a special rubber material that reflect different colours spectrums at certain angles. In addition to the usual places where you may expect to mind them (like the shoulders and thighs), these GN conductor cables are also present in the sides of Exia’s torso and the top of its head. While this gimmick never appeared in the anime, they do look very nifty, so I’m not complaining about them in the slightest.

AAAccessories

ACCESSORIES

The key feature of the Exia is the seven swords equipped throughout its body – a feature that would surely come in handy when the pilot loses his weapon... six times.

 First up is Exia’s trademark weapon: the GN Sword/Rifle. This weapon is held in the right hand in addition to being mounted onto the right forearm. It is capable of transforming between rifle mode, to a “gunblade mode” (in which the blade is merely flipped to the front), and sword mode (where the rifles transforms into the hilt of the sword itself). The blade is nothing short of massive and can feel cumbersome at times, but thankfully it does not weigh enough to cause any significant weight issues.

 The rifle/blade part of the weapon can also be folded into the side guard itself in order to free up the right hand in order for the Exia to hold other weapons – a very thoughtful inclusion that’s not present in the HG or the 1/100.

Second up are the GN long blade and the GN short blade, triangular sword weapons that can be mounted onto the sides of Exia’s hips. While the swords themselves are pretty ordinary, their hip mounts are a point of interest

By popping open the round hatch at the base of Exia’s legs, a small ball-joint can be swung out to be connected into the sockets on the GN blades. However, while these mounts work fantastically in a standing pose, they do not work very well in action poses requiring leg movement, as these mounts are ultimately fixed onto the upper legs and cannot accommodate the more extreme poses. In the end, I wish the Exia’s blade mounts were based on a part-swapping design instead of this integrated design, as the former would be more flexible and durable than the flimsy and limited design featured in the model.

Third up are the 4 beam sabers, 2 of which are stored behind Exia’s shoulders, while the 2 others are stored on Exia’s bum. The 2 long beam blades and 2 dagger-length beam blades are included with the model. The pair stored vertically on the bum can be flipped to the side for easy retrieval, while the shoulder-mounted hilts are attached to a swinging base piece also designed for easy retrieval by the hands. 

Then there’s the GN shield, which can only be mounted on the side of the forearm, which is accurate to the anime and functionally satisfactory, as the shield is narrow enough to feel cumbersome in this configuration. The blue parts of the shield can be shifted outwards to reveal a sliver of the shield’s gray interior.

Finally, the GN drive is removable. Being the regular version, there is no LED light housed on the inside. However, a clear display base is still included for it, along with a 1/100 scale figure of Setsuna and a Haro worker. A red cover for the hole behind a drive-less Exia is also include, as well as a crotch clamp for use in conjunction with Bandai’s Action Base 1.

Before I forget, I would like to point a quirky fact: the MG Exia’s hands are tiny. So tiny that it looks like it has trouble holding onto the mammoth handles of its various thick-handled swords. This isn’t a big detriment to the model as a whole, but I can’t help but to think how a pair of Zaku II-sized hands would be more appropriate for the Exia.

ARTICULATIONS

Surprisingly, the neck of Exia is single-jointed. This design decision was probably made to accommodate the GN drive housed in the chest of the suit. Regardless, this is the only MG model I have (excluding the Ball, which has no neck) that only has one point of articulation for the neck. This unfortunately makes reproducing convincing action poses more difficult.

While the forward shoulder articulation of the MG Exia is average amongst MG kits, it is somewhat lacking for a suit that focuses on melee combat, to which shoulder articulation is paramount. Furthermore, the GN conductor cables underneath the shoulders tend to push the arms downwards if they are propped too high up, to the side, so you’ll have to remove them from time to time if you want certain poses.

While on the topic of melee combat, Exia’s arms and wrists are also a tad disappointing. Gundam models have always lacked the ability to point their swords forwards, and the Exia is no exception. Bandai really needs to innovate their wrist and hand design to accommodate the possibility of the fencer’s grip for their models, and sadly such an innovation did not arrive in Exia.

Rest of the model is pretty much standard fair with a few brighter notes: the hip articulation for the Exia is virtually uninhibited by the combination between the shiftable hip pegs and the miniscule and double-jointed skirt armour, the chest v-fins can be folded down, the waist an bend and twist sideways with admirable ease, and even Exia’s “toes” can wiggle up and down.

FINAL SAY 

As far as looks go, Exia does good justice to the original design – and then some. Its reworked proportions and detail takes the suit beyond what it was in the anime. But in terms of articulation, Exia reminds us of the fact that models are not toys – they are not meant to be constantly bent and manipulated. I believe most of the articulation gimmicks for MG kits are designed with the goal of the joy of construction rather than playability in mind, and that definitely shows in the MG Exia. While it is a joy to build and behold, when it comes to putting it into the swashbuckling poses in the anime, this thing is not capable of managing that. Keep this fact in mind, and you’ll find the Exia to be an enjoyable kit. Alternatively, consider the various Gundam Exia Action figures (such as the Robot Damashii and the Super HCM version) out there.

Pros

• Significantly improved proportions
• Very detailed, especially on the laser-etched clear green parts
• Unrestrictive hip armour and flexible hip joints

Cons

• Neck only has one point of articulation
• The GN Blade holders do not work in most action poses
• The shoulder, wrist and hand articulation are not enough to reproduce the more intricate action poses